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Help Identifying this Queen and workers.

Started By robbieh15 , Jun 2 2024 8:56 AM

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10 replies to this topic

#1 Offline robbieh15 - Posted June 2 2024 - 8:56 AM

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Hello...

I am brand new to this hobby. I was cleaning up an area around our pool and found this colony. I captured the queen, 4 workers, and several brood. Since getting them in the tube, she has laid several new eggs. Any help identifying these ants would be appreciated. I live in Springfield, IL. They were found in my back yard.

Thank you so much.

Rob

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#2 Offline GOCAMPONOTUS - Posted June 2 2024 - 9:14 AM

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LocationRocklin,CA

Some sort of Camponotus.sp or Formica. better lighting and pics would help by a mile.

Currently keeping: 2 C.vicinus colonies.2 C.sansabeanus. 1 C.leavissimus. 2 C.Ca02. 1 V.pergandei. 4 T.immigrans.1 F.pacifica. 1 C.hyatti

1 M.ergatognya

Trying to get my hands on :C.modoc,A.vercicolor, and Any Honeypots

#3 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted June 2 2024 - 9:33 AM

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Formica pallidefulva group, either pallidefulva or incerta. Either a sharper photo showing the hair on the workers mesosoma or a photo with clearer lighting showing the coloration of the queen's mesonotum should help get species.

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#4 Offline GOCAMPONOTUS - Posted June 2 2024 - 9:36 AM

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I agree The shape of the queen looks more like Formica than camponotus

Currently keeping: 2 C.vicinus colonies.2 C.sansabeanus. 1 C.leavissimus. 2 C.Ca02. 1 V.pergandei. 4 T.immigrans.1 F.pacifica. 1 C.hyatti

1 M.ergatognya

Trying to get my hands on :C.modoc,A.vercicolor, and Any Honeypots

#5 Offline robbieh15 - Posted June 3 2024 - 8:28 PM

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Here are a few more pics. I tried to get better lighting. If these don't help, I will try a better camera.

Thank you.

Rob

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#6 Offline Temno - Posted June 3 2024 - 9:43 PM

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Looks to be some sort of camponotus. Can I get a picture of the queen from a side angle? Preferably with something to compare size with

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#7 Offline Temno - Posted June 3 2024 - 9:44 PM

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Looks to be some sort of camponotus. Can I get a picture of the queen from a side angle? Preferably with something to compare size with

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legs look a little bit long tho

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#8 Offline Temno - Posted June 3 2024 - 9:47 PM

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Wait I’m sooo dumb. Sorry. Seems to be in the Formica group. The queens shape and the leg length kinda make it more formica

#9 Offline ANTdrew - Posted June 4 2024 - 10:56 AM

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Formica, possibly pallidefulva.

"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#10 Offline Artisan_Ants - Posted June 4 2024 - 1:10 PM

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F. incerta although not fully sure. I believe this because I keep F. palledifulva and oh man do these guys not only look darker (doesn’t really matter anyways because any Formica within the palledifulva group usually have darker variants up north and lighter variants down south). It because of their size which is a whole lot bigger than palledifulva I can tell you that. Also where do you live? In another ID thread you said that you found a queen in Baltimore, MD so Maryland? Interesting because you would be having a lighter c colored variant of Formica infects especially or maybe that’s just the shadow. Either way based on size; I think that this might F. incerta unless F. palledifulva are polymorphic making them generally bigger in appearance; which I somehow missed when reading articles about them. Of course it’s of impossible for them to be F. palledifulva but the size concerns me and leads me to the F. inverts side (correct me If I’m wrong on anything).

Keeping:

2x - S. molesta (colonies) 1x - C. nearcticus (founding) (y) New!

1x - C. chromaiodes (colony) 1x - C. subbarbatus (founding) (y) New!

2x - F. pallidefulva (colonies) 1x T. sessile (mega colony)

2x - C. cerasi (founding) workers are here!

1x - B. depilis (founding but no eggs)

2x - P. imparis (colony) 2x P. imparis (founding) Unfortunately no multi queen P. imparis colonies as all of the queens died due to fungus infection (assumed). RIP

Check out my C. nearcticus journal here: https://www.formicul...cticus-journal/

Check out my C. chromaiodes journal here: https://www.formicul...aiodes-journal/

#11 Offline robbieh15 - Posted June 4 2024 - 1:13 PM

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These were found in my backyard in Springfield, IL. I know the pics are not great. The workers all have a dark gaster and red thorax and head. The queen is almost a copper color.